Popular gel manicure may be a 'cancer risk'

Pricey gel manicures that prevent nails from chipping are all the rage — but they can actually increase the risk of skin cancer, according to a disturbing warning from a doctor at the NYU School of Medicine.

The lengthy dose of UV light used to dry the gel is known to damage skin cells much the same way as tanning beds, assistant professor of dermatology Dr. Chris Adigun of the Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology says.

“Women who frequently get gel manicures should consider their skin-cancer risk because the UV light needed to cure the gel manicure is a risk factor for skin cancer,” she wrote in a recent article in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

LED lamps are used in drying regular nail polish and don’t pose a health risk because they don’t emit ultraviolet radiation. Some skin cancers are caused by exposure to certain ultraviolet light.

Having a gel manicure can be so risky that Adigun warns women to apply sunscreen on their hands “to decrease the consequences of chemical trauma.”